Connecting device



May 11, 1937. E. s. CUSHMAN ET AL 2,079,983

CONNECTING DEVICE Filed April 25, 1956 Patented May 11, 1937 iTE ST CONNECTING DEVICE York Application April 25, 1936, Serial No. 76,422

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for connecting a body to a member having a hollow bore. More particularly this invention relates to a spring connection device for engaging within a hollow bore, and to the article resulting therefrom.

Our invention is especially useful in mops, brushes and the like for connecting the fibrous body to a handle; but the invention is also broad- 0 ly applicable for the fastening of any body which can have a wire secured thereto to any other which can be provided with a bore.

Most satisfactory brushes, mops, etc. are made by engaging the fibers which form the body of the brush, or mop, etc. in a knotted or twisted loop of wire. With brushes and mops of this kind, however, difficulty has been experienced in securing the wire to a suitable handle.

It is, therefore, an object of our present invention to provide a simple, reliable and inexpensive connecting device, and a superior article embodying such connection.

In the accompanying drawing, we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention and certain modifications thereof. These are not intended to be exhaustive but on the contrary have been chosen and presented with a view to explaining our invention andthe best way of embodying it, so that others skilled in the 3 art may apply it under varying circumstances and in various forms best adapted to meet the needs of each particular case.

Fig. 1. shows in perspective a dish mop made according to our invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mop body with the fastening device in place but without the handle.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the axis of the handle.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig.

4, but showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a view partly in perspective, partly in axial section and partly broken away of a modifled former the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the mop there illustrated is shown as made of a bundle of strings or other fibrous material it, tied together near the center as shown at H by 55 the knotted loop or bight of wire, the ends of which are extended at l2 and have short portions near their ends bent back as shown at l3.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3 the portion l3 has sharp ends adapted to dig into the wooden handle and are of a length, from the bends to these sharp ends, greater than the diameter of the bore id in the handle 15.

The end portion i3 is bent back so as to form an acute angle with the wire I2 and preferably as shown in Fig. 2, the end where it engages the inside of the bore I4 is spaced from the other part of the wire [2 a distance greater than the diameter of the bore 54, so that, when inserted into the bore, each of the ends l3 will be forced against the inside of the handle by the resiliency of the wire itself. However, a substantially similar result can be obtained, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, if the wires l2 are bent outwardly from one another so that when they are inserted into the bore, as shown in Fig. 3, and released therein, the entire wire I2 tends to push against the opposite side of the bore l4 and thereby to force the sharp end into engagement with the inside of the handle in the bore M.

In the use of this device as thus far described a wire is twisted or tied about the fibrous body It, the ends are brought upwardly approximately together and their end portions l3 bent back at an acute angle as shown. These ends are then inserted into the bore M of the handle i5 whereupon the ends of the wire engage the sides of the bore. Any attempt to pull the wire l2 back out of the bore is transmitted to the points wherethey engage the handle and tend to stick these points farther and more securely into the wood or other material of the handle. At the same time this force will tend to swing the portions l3 down about the points where they are engaged in the handle. Since, however, the portions 83 are longer than the diameter of the bore this tendency serves only to drive the points more securely into the handle by wedging the portion I3 between the sides of the bore. If an excessive pull is put upon the brush body, it will be found that the points will be driven completely through the side of the handle before the wires can be pulled out from the bore l4.

As thus far described, however, there is one remaining possibility of destroying the engagement between the wires and the handle, namely, the possibility that the brush body and the handle may be twisted with respect to one another. If this should be done it might be possible to so far distort the wires in the bore as to destroy the secure engagement of the Wires in the handle. In order to prevent this it is desirable to provide means for securing the body and the handle against relative rotation or twisting. In Figs. 1 to 4 this has been accomplished by means of the transverse slot I6 and the clip I! which is slipped onto the wires 12 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The ends of this clip Ill extend into the slot l6 beyond the bore 14 and thereby prevent the twisting of the wires relative to the handle 15.

Another way in which a similar result can be accomplished is shown in Fig. 5. In this case the handle [5 is provided with a double bore 140., the two bores overlapping sufficiently to permit the bent back portions 13 of the wires to extend from one into the other. Because of the elongated shape of this double bore the wires I2 cannot be twisted about in the bore but each will remain in its own bore.

As will be understood from the above the simple form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 depends upon a certain amount of resiliency in the wires l2l3 which assure the pressing of the ends against the inside of the handle and at the same time a sufficient stiifness of the wire so that the portions I3 will remain substantially straight and a pull on the wire 12 cannot simply shift the bend along the portion I3. In some cases it may be desirable to use a wire or other material to serve the functions of the portions H, 12 which is not adapted by its characteristics to serve the functions of the portion l3. In such case these two parts may be separated, as shown, for example, in Fig. 6. In this case the angular clip 2!! is of the necessary resiliency and stiffness to serve the function of the portion I3 while the wire connection 12a. may be either too soft or too rigid to serve satisfactorily in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2', and 3.

Such an arrangement is also desirable where a flexible connection is required. In such case the clip 20 would be inserted into the bore only far enough to have the eye 21 at the mouth of the bore, whereby the connecting portion lZa could swing freely about the eye 2!. Such an arrangement may be used for example for mounting the legs, arms and head of dolls onto the body for limited angular movement.

Another modification is illustrated in Fig. '7 in which case a ferrule 22 is used instead of the clip l6. Two holes 23 in the end of the ferrule admit the wires and hold them against turning and ears 24 punched inwardly (shown in the broken away portion of Fig. 7) engage in the slot IE to lock the ferrule against turning on the handle i5. As another alternative a simple tubular fer-, rule may have longer ears turned in and these ears provided with holes through which the wires l2 pass.

Although I prefer to use wood or other material sufiiciently soft for the wire ends 13 to dig into, it should be understood that satisfactory engagement may be had in a harder material if the bore is roughened sufiiciently for the wires to catch, e. g., by cutting a coarse thread or other circumferential scratches or grooves.

Although in each of the figures we have shown two hooks l3 engaging the inside of the handle, because it will ordinarily be most convenient to insert both ends of the wire loop into the handle it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that a single hook of this kind may serve adequately to connect the mop or brush body to the handle. Furthermore, although we have shown in the drawing and described our invention above particularly in connection with a mop or brush, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention may also be used for connecting other types of bodies to handles or other elements having a bore therein.

We claim:

1. An article comprising a connector wire having at least one portion at the end thereof bent back to form an angle with itself of less than a part connected to said wire at a distance from said end whereby a pull on said part when said end is held will tend to turn said end portion more nearly perpendicular, and a female part having a bore therein of diameter less than the length of the bent back end of the wire and the wall of its bore being in contact with the end of the wire and adapted to be engaged securely by the end of the wire, whereby a pull on said firstnamed part will cause said wire to jam in the 5. An article as defined in claim 1 which further includes a member having an eccentric opening through which the wire passes, and the part which has the bore having also a lateral slot in which said member is engaged, whereby to prevent the wires from twisting inside of said bore.

6. A mop, brush or the like comprising a fibrous body, stifi wire strands engaging the fibrous body between the ends having sharp ends extended beyond said fibrous body bent back at an acute angle to the adjacent part of the wire, and a handle having a bore therein in which the bentback ends of the wire are engaged, said bore being of lesser diameter than the spacing of the sharpened end of the wire from the point on the wire at which it is bent back, whereby said end is pressed by its own resiliency against the side of said bore, and the inner surface of said bore being adapted to be engaged securely by the end of the wire whereby said wire may jam against withdrawal.

7. A mop, brush or the like, as defined in claim 6, in which the fibrous body is engaged in a single integral loop of wire by knotting the ends tightly over said fibrous body.

8. In combination with a part having a bore therein, a device for connecting a body thereto, which comprises means engaging said body and having a portion extended into the bore of said part and a stifi resilient member within said bore secured to said extended portion, and having an end extended diagonally across the bore to a point nearer the mouth of the bore, engaging in the side of the bore and being longer than the diameter of the bore, whereby to be jammed more tightly into the handle by any pull exerted thereon.

EDWARD S. CUSHMAN. EDWARD KONIK. 

